The formal letter: A formal letter (la carta formal) is an official message to someone you don't know personally — a company, an institution, an authority.
The formal letter at a glance
- Paper 1: choose it when the task tells you to write to an organisation or a person in a role (a director, a manager, a town hall).
- It belongs to Unit 2: Text Types.
- The marks come from getting its conventions and register right (Criterion C), not just the message.
- la carta (formal)
- the (formal) letter
- el destinatario
- the recipient (who you write to)
- el saludo formal
- the formal greeting (Estimado/a Sr./Sra.:)
- la despedida formal
- the formal sign-off / closing
- el registro formal
- formal register (you address the reader as usted)
- el tono respetuoso
- a respectful, neutral tone
Spot it in the task: The task names your reader. Escribe al director…, Escribe a la empresa…, Dirígete al ayuntamiento → an organisation or authority → formal. If it said Escribe a tu amigo/a you'd switch to an informal email (a different text type). Always read who the reader is first.
Tasks where it fits
- Writing to the mayor about a problem in your town
- Asking the school director for a space or a change
- Complaining to a company about a bad experience
Conventions the examiner checks
- Place, date and «Estimado/a señor/a...:»
- usted throughout, a clear purpose in the first paragraph
- «Le saluda atentamente» and your name
Traps that cost Criterion C
- Switching to tú
- «¡Hola!» or «Un abrazo»
- Complaining without proposing anything
También aparece como: carta al director, correspondencia formal, carta de presentación (letter to the editor / cover letter)
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Keep it formal: Use usted, a neutral, respectful tone, and fixed, polite formulae. Avoid slang, contractions of tone and exclamations. Consistency matters — slipping into informal tú or chatty phrasing breaks the register and costs you Criterion C.
Formal — do this
- Estimado Sr. Director:
- Le escribo para solicitar…
- Atentamente, / Reciba un cordial saludo.
Informal — avoid here
- ¡Hola, Marta! ¿Qué tal?
- Te escribo para contarte…
- Un abrazo, / Besos,
Stay consistent: Pick usted and keep it from the greeting to the sign-off. Verbs, pronouns (le, su, usted) and the closing all have to agree with that choice.
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The six parts: Every formal letter follows the same shape. Hit all six parts and you've covered the conventions the examiner is looking for.
Formal letter — 6 parts
1
Date & place
Place + the date, top right. Madrid, 14 de marzo de 2026
2
Formal greeting
A respectful greeting + the reader's role, with a colon. Estimado Sr. Director:
3
Opening
State your purpose straight away, in usted. Le escribo para…
4
Body
Set out your request or information clearly and politely — the longest part. Quisiera saber… Le agradecería que…
5
Closing
A polite closing formula. Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.
6
Sign-off
A formal sign-off + your full name. Atentamente, [nombre y apellidos]
Date → Greeting → Opening → Body → Closing → Sign-off
Don't skip the frame: Students lose easy Criterion C marks by forgetting the formal greeting or sign-off. They take seconds and show you know the text type — never leave them out.
A model, part by part: Here's a complete formal letter built from the six parts above. Read it once for the message, then tap Ver traducción to check the English or the audio button to hear it.
Modelo: las 6 partes en acción
La carta escrita, parte por parte
- Madrid, 14 de marzo de 2026
- Estimado Sr. Director:
- Le escribo para solicitar información sobre el curso de verano que ofrece su academia, ya que me gustaría matricularme este año.
- Quisiera saber cuáles son los horarios, el precio y los requisitos de acceso. Por ello, le agradecería que me enviara un folleto con todos los detalles.
- Quedo a la espera de su respuesta y le agradezco de antemano su atención.
- Atentamente, Elena Ríos Vega
Por qué puntúa — why it scores: This short letter earns marks on all three Paper 1 criteria — here's how:
A — Language /12
- Respectful, accurate language; usted throughout
- Connectors: ya que, por ello
- Polite conditional (agradecería, enviara), correct verbs
B — Message /12
- Clear purpose: requests information AND a brochure
- Ideas developed (timetables, price, requirements)
C — Conceptual /6
- Letter conventions: date + formal greeting + sign-off
- Consistent formal register (usted)
- Neutral, respectful tone
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A toolkit you can reuse: Learn a few ready-made phrases for each part. They make your letter sound natural and save time in the exam. Tap the audio button to hear them.
Para empezar (greetings & openings)
- Estimado/a Sr./Sra. [apellido]: — Dear Mr/Mrs [surname],
- Le escribo para… — I am writing to…
- Me dirijo a usted con motivo de… — I am contacting you regarding…
Para el cuerpo (requesting politely)
- Quisiera saber… — I would like to know…
- Le agradecería que… — I would be grateful if you could…
- Le ruego que… — I kindly ask you to…
Para terminar (closings & sign-offs)
- Quedo a la espera de su respuesta. — I look forward to your reply.
- Reciba un cordial saludo. — Kind regards.
- Atentamente, [nombre y apellidos] — Yours faithfully, [full name]
Use one from each: One greeting, one or two polite requests in the body, and one closing formula is plenty — and instantly makes the letter feel like the real text type.